Introduction to Panama City Amateur Radio Club

This was a talk for our Beginner's Academy. Note, our club activities are having to be adjusted for the COVID-19 pandemic.

Amateur Radio License Testing at Panama City ARC

The Panama City Amateur Radio Club is re-starting license testing in September. Due to the COVID situation, testing will be by appointment only and we will be following a COVID-aware protocol. If you would like to test, please email Gary at aj4ky@arrl.net for the testing schedule.  Reservations will be first come, first served. 

Echolink is live on the W4RYZ Repeater

Echolink is now available on the 145.210 W4RYZ Repeater. This will allow stations out of the repeater coverage area to talk on the repeater via the internet. The node number is 529622 and the node name is N4STC-R. 

An amateur radio license is required to use Echolink. Please download, install, and run the EchoLink software first. This registers your call with the system. Then, return to the Validation page to proceed with your callsign validation.

To use your smartphone, download the Echolink App from the App Store on your phone. 

To use a computer download the Echolink software from echolink.org.

Select Node # 529622 N4STC-R

The node-link is located at my QTH.

Thanks,

Phil N4STC

Recent Silent Keys

It is with great sorrow to inform you of the passing of these hams  Please keep their families in your thoughts and prayers. Click on their name for their obituary.

Chuck Shanholtzer, W4CWS 

Barry Thompson, KD4ZYR

Bill Watson, NV4T

PCARC Clubhouse Closed for July

PCARC,

I hope everyone is healthy and staying safe.  The club officers are still Not comfortable with opening the clubhouse.  We want to keep it closed for the month of July.  We believe this is the right thing to do for the membership at this time.     

73,

Bob, WB8PAF

President PCARC

July Two Meter Spelling Bee with ZIP Codes Event

Objective: The objective of the spelling bee event is to increase two-meter FM activity and to have fun.

Goal: The goal is two-fold;  First, it is to spell as many words in the list of rotators manufacturers below using letters from the call sign of contacts you make on two-meter FM. The letters from callsigns can be reused on multiple words. The second goal is to work as many hams in as many ZIP Codes as possible. The ZIP code will be their residence ZIP code.

Emotator
Cornell Dubilier
Blonder Tongue
HyGain Telex
Alliance
Wilson
Archerotor
Yaesu
Lance Colormaster
Winegard
RCA
Zenith
Lava
Channel Master
Tailtwister
Gemini
Emerson
Sears

AlphaSpid

Eligibility: Eligible participants include PCARC club members where ever they live or any Bay County ham. N4KGL will not participate as he is the administrator of the event. However, if you work N4KGL you can use his callsign and ZIP code.

Scoring:  The score will be the number of words spelled multiplied by the number of unique ZIP codes worked.

Winners: The top five hams with the highest score are winners. 

Exchange: The QSO exchange must include callsign and the residence ZIP Code of  each operator

Valid Contacts: Contacts must be on two meters FM on a repeater or simplex. Scheduled net or roundtable contacts do not count. However, contacts that are made after the close of a scheduled net or round table do count. Club calls do not count.

Entry Submission: Please email the list of stations with their ZIP codes you worked to lanekg@gmail before 23:00 UTC August 5th, 2020. Your score will be calculated from your entry.

Prizes: The winners will get their choice from a limited pool of inexpensive prizes posted on www.w4ryz.org. The five winners get select a prize in the order their scores starting with the highest.  The prizes for the July Spelling Bee will be delivered in August. 


Spelling Bee Prize List (Additional prizes may be added any time through the end of July)

Code Practice Oscillator 1 Each 4 Available Greg N4KGL
12 Watt Dummy Load Prize 1 Each 1 Available Greg N4KGL
Barrel Connector Adapter 2 Each 1 Available Greg N4KGL
Anderson Power Poles 30 amp 5 Each 2 Available Greg N4KGL
Egg Insulators 5 Each 2 Available Greg N4KGL
Ham Radio Bumper Sticker 2 Each 2 Available Greg N4KGL
QRP Sticker 1 Each 1 Available Greg N4KGL
Power Pole Polarity Indicator/Corrector 1 Each 1 Available Greg N4KGL
SMA Female to UHF Male 1 each 2 Available Greg N4KGL
SMA Male SO239 Female 1 Each 2 Available Greg N4KGL
Hints & Kinks Book New 1 Each 1 Available Jack Crusan N1HQ
Custom-cut vinyl call sign stickers 1 each 2 Available Austin Williams KN4WVR
Homemade Bell Rope 1 each 1 available Jim KW4UT
HP Pavilion Desktop Computer with Linux Mint and ham software installed. John Sanderson
Electronics Demystified book by Stan Gibilisco Greg N4KGL 1 each 1 available
IC-28H 2 Meter radio working condition and easy to program Phil N4STC 1 each 1 available
Alinco DJ-MD5TGP. VHF/UHF dual-band, DMR, and Analog with GPS. KK4DIV 1 each 1 available


Photos of Prizes:

Hints & Kinks Book New

two custom-cut vinyl call sign stickers (winner choice of color)
  for windows or anything else, you want to stick them on.

Homemade Bell Rope

HP Pavilion Computer with Linux and ham software installed

Model Number of the above computer.

Electronics Demystified book by Stan Gibilisco

IC-28H 2 Meter radio working condition and easy to program

Slightly used Alinco DJ-MD5TGP. VHF/UHF dual-band, DMR, and Analog with GPS.

Good luck,

Greg N4KGL
lanekg@gmail.com

Announcement: Two-Meter FM Spelling Bee for May 2020

Objective: The objective of the spelling bee event is to increase two-meter FM activity and to have fun.

Goal: The goal is to spell all the words in the list below using letters from the call sign of contacts you make on two-meter FM. The letters from callsigns can be reused on multiple words.

Icom
Kenwood
Yaesu
Elecraft
Flex
Alinco

QRP Labs
Xiegu
Hallicrafters
Motorola
Baofeng

Eligibility: Eligible participants include PCARC club members where ever they live or any Bay County ham. N4KGL will not participate as he is the administrator of the event. However, if you work N4KGL you can use his callsign.

Winners: The first five hams to spell all the words are winners. If less than five hams spell all the words by the last day in May, entries with the most words spelled will be winners to complete the five winners. The letters of a callsign worked can be re-used on multiple words. 

Winner #1 Rick NZ2I

Exchange: The QSO exchange must include callsign and birth month.

Valid Contacts: Contacts must be on two meters FM on a repeater or simplex. Scheduled net or roundtable contacts do not count. However, contacts that are made after the close of a scheduled net or round table do count. Club calls do not count.

Entry Submission: Please email the 1.) list of stations with their birth month you worked to spell the words, 2.) The words spelled to lanekg@gmail.com. If all words are spelled submit the list ASAP. A partial list of words spelled will be accepted between June 1st and June 5th at midnight The earliest email date will be given priority over later entries for a tie.

Prizes: The winners will get their choice from a limited pool of inexpensive prizes. The winners get their choice in the order they submit a winning entry to lanekg@gmail.com. The prize list will be announced on April 30th. The prizes for the May Spelling Bee will be delivered in June. If there are hams that would like to donate a prize, identify the prize to me via email before the first winner is confirmed.


May Spelling Bee Prize List

Code Practice Oscillator 1 Each 5 Available Greg N4KGL
12 Watt Dummy Load Prize 1 Each 1 Available Greg N4KGL
Barrel Connector Adapter 2 Each 1 Available Greg N4KGL
Anderson Power Poles 30 amp 5 Each 2 Available Greg N4KGL
Egg Insulators 5 Each 2 Available Greg N4KGL
Ham Radio Bumper Sticker 2 Each 2 Available Greg N4KGL
QRP Sticker 1 Each 1 Available Greg N4KGL
Power Pole Polarity Indicator/Corrector 1 Each 1 Available Greg N4KGL
SMA Female to UHF Male 1 each 2 Available Greg N4KGL
SMA Male SO239 Female 1 Each 2 Available Greg N4KGL
Hints & Kinks Book New 1 Each 1 Available Jack Crusan N1HQ
Custom-cut vinyl call sign stickers 1 each 2 Available Austin Williams KN4WVR
Homemade Bell Rope 1 each 1 available Jim KW4UT
HP Pavilion Desktop Computer with Linux Mint and ham software installed. John Sanderson
Electronics Demystified book by Stan Gibilisco Greg N4KGL 1 each 1 available
Beaglebone Black Single Board Computer 1 Each 1 Available  John Sanderson

Photos of Prizes:

Hints & Kinks Book New

two custom-cut vinyl call sign stickers (winner choice of color)
  for windows or anything else, you want to stick them on.

Homemade Bell Rope

HP Pavilion Computer with Linux and ham software installed

Model Number of the above computer.

Electronics Demystified book by Stan Gibilisco

Beaglebone Black Single Board Computer

Good luck,

Greg N4KGLLanekg@gmail.com